Pro-Palestine group organises event for kids to leave class and rally in the city on November 23
Jacinta Allan is being urged to “instruct” schools to ban students from attending pro-Palestine protests, as hundreds of children plan to skip class to rally in the city.
Victoria
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Premier Jacinta Allan is being urged to “instruct” schools to ban students from attending pro-Palestine protests, with Jewish advocates and the opposition saying a planned walkout could spread more division in classrooms.
Ms Allan on Tuesday declined to enforce tougher measures to stop children from wagging school, as School Students for Palestine encourages pupils to stage a mass walkout next Thursday to participate in a “protest action” at Flinders St Station.
Ms Allan said: “It’s my expectation that students go to school on that day.”
But the Premier added: “In terms of students, individual school attendance, that’s very much a matter for local schools.
“I’m not sure what you’d suggest we’d do, individually go around and check every household to make sure every child is at school?”
Opposition spokeswoman for education Jess Wilson and Anti-Defamation Commission chairman Dvir Abramovich slammed the Premier.
“Political activists cannot be allowed to bring the current and extremely complex conflict in the Middle East into Victorian classrooms,” Ms Wilson said.
“The Premier and the Education Minister must instruct schools that this is not an approved nor endorsed reason for student absence.”
Ms Wilson added recent violent attacks on the Jewish community should reinforce the need for the government to prevent disunity from spreading in schools.
Dr Abramovich also called on the government to consider the violence and harassment that may follow between Jewish and pro-Palestine students.
Federal Education Minister Jason Clare encouraged students to stay at school, but Greens education spokeswoman Penny Allman-Payne demanded he retract his comments.
“I urge students and families to ignore the minister’s condescension and act on your democratic right to protest for a safe climate future and for peace,” she said.
The political debate comes as another protest is set to take place outside Melbourne’s US Consulate on Friday.
Deakin University student and co-convener for the event Jasmine Duff expects more than 500 people to attend the protest at 1pm before they march down St Kilda Rd.
High-profile psychologist Michael Carr-Gregg said the recent escalation of the Israel-Hamas conflict was significantly affecting Australian children, which he said was another reason for the state’s leaders to step in.
“This war has led to echoes of tension in Australian communities with children reporting an increase of anti-Semitism and Islamophobia, leaving these communities nervous and distressed,” he said.
Such tensions have not stopped year 11 student Ivy, who said that young pro-Palestine supporters would continue to campaign.
“We’re walking out of school because nobody in the government is defending the Palestinian people, who are being killed in the siege on Gaza,” she said.
“We want to take action to let everyone know we stand in solidarity with them.”
Since sharing the November 23 event online, Jewish advocates have slammed organisers for continuing to “divide” the community, with Dr Abramovich calling on the state government to take action.
“These guerrilla-style tactics cannot become the new normal in our state. Those attending the protest will not be told about the barbarities committed by Hamas,” he said.
“Put yourself in the position of a Jewish student. I have no doubt that when the students return to class after absorbing the anti-Israel venom, they will feel contempt for their Jewish classmates and violence and harassment may follow.”
But Victorian Greens leader Samantha Ratnam backed students who planned to wag school for the rally and an upcoming climate protest.
Ms Ratnam on Tuesday said schools should support students looking to ditch class to attend the rallies, rather than punish them.
“We’d be calling on schools to support students’ civic participation, and that’s what protests are,” she said.
Ms Ratnam said protests were an “important vehicle” for young people to express their views and exert pressure on their leaders.
“They’re seeing their futures put at risk. They’re seeing children and young people just like them being killed in the most horrendous war,” she said.
“Who are we to say that they shouldn’t be taking to the streets to express their pain and demanding their leaders act for peace and that’s exactly what they’re doing.”
Education Minister Ben Carroll said while it was positive to see children taking an interest in international affairs, students would be expected to be in the classroom.
“The 23rd of November is a school day and the expectation is that normal attendance will be required and students will be encouraged to attend school,” Mr Carroll said.
“We do know students are finding it very difficult and understandably, with events in the Middle East, but we are rolling out a range of supports.
“We do know the most powerful thing students can do is be at school on the 23rd of November.”
Mr Carroll said suspensions or other punishments for skipping school to attend the protest would be up to individual schools.
“So attendance requirements are required. In relation to that sort of suspensions or any punishment that will be up to the school community,” Mr Carroll said.
He said discussions were underway about advice for schools.
The Herald Sun understands the conflict between Israel and Hamas is also raising tensions at Victorian universities due to some groups taking a hard stance on either side of the debate.
Schools will operate to their usual schedule on November 23 and normal attendance expectations apply.
A Department of Education spokesman said schools “are communicating with parents and carers about the current situation, including advice on ensuring that students know where to go for additional support.
“Schools also ensure students understand that any form of racism is not tolerated, and nor is any language likely to incite any form of racism, antisemitism or violence,” he said.
The idea to stage a walkout in support of Palestine isn’t new, with school students from across the globe participating in similar action which they’ve recorded and shared to social media.
Videos posted to TikTok show students from one California high school storming the school corridors with flags while chanting “from the river to see, Palestine will be free”.
Meanwhile in another clip, teenagers from a Canadian school flooded to a local park creating a sea of green, red and black as they paraded flags and signs.
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